Garrison's Finish : a romance of the race course eBook

Major Calvert’s really interested desire to
see his pseudo nephew astride a mount afforded Garrison
the legitimate opportunity of keeping clear of Mr.
Waterbury for the next few days. The track was
situated some three miles from Calvert House—­a
modern racing-stable in every sense of the word—­and
early the next morning Garrison started forth, accompanied
by the indefatigable major.

Curiosity was stirring in the latter’s heart.
He had long been searching for a fitting rider for
the erratic and sensitive Dixie—­whimsical
and uncertain of taste as any woman—­and
though he could not bring himself to believe in Crimmins’
eulogy of Garrison’s riding ability, he was
anxious to ascertain how far the trainer had erred.

Crimmins was not given to airing his abortive sense
of humor overmuch, and he was a sound judge of horse
and man. If he was right—­but the major
had to laugh at such a possibility. Garrison to
ride like that! He who had confessed he had never
thrown a leg over a horse before! By a freak
of nature he might possess the instinct but not the
ability.

Perhaps he even might possess the qualifications of
an exercise-boy; he had the build—­a stripling
who possessed both sinew and muscle, but who looked
fatty tissue. But the major well knew that it
is one thing to qualify as an exercise-boy and quite
another to toe the mark as a jockey. For the
former it is only necessary to have good hands, a good
seat in the saddle, and to implicitly obey a trainer’s
instructions. No initiative is required.
But it is absolutely essential that a boy should own
all these adjuncts and many others—­quickness
of perception, unlimited daring, and alertness to
make a jockey. No truer summing up of the necessary
qualifications is there than the old and famous “Father
Bill” Daly’s doggerel and appended note:

“Just a tinge
of wickedness,
With a touch of devil-may-care;
Just a bit of bone and
meat,
With plenty of nerve
to dare.
And, on top of all things—­he
must be a tough kid.”

And “Father Bill” Daly ought to know above
all others, for he has trained more famous jockeys
than any other man in America.

There are two essential points in the training of
race-horses—­secrecy and ability. Crimmins
possessed both, but the scheduled situation of the
Calvert stables rendered the secret “trying out”
of racers before track entry unnecessary. It
is only fair to state that if Major Calvert had left
his trainer to his own judgment his stable would have
made a better showing than it had. But the major’s
disposition and unlimited time caused him more often
than not to follow the racing paraphrase: “Dubs
butt in where trainers fear to tread.”

He was so enthusiastic and ignorant over horses that
he insisted upon campaigns that had only the merit
of good intentions to recommend them. Some highly
paid trainers throw up their positions when their
millionaire owners assume the role of dictator, but
Crimmins very seldom lost his temper. The major
was so boyishly good-hearted and bull-headed that
Crimmins had come to view his master’s racing
aspirations almost as an expensive joke.